During winter and ‘rona, we can easily be susceptible to boredom; luckily we have access to a plethora of boredom antidotes in the 21st century.
While there is the option of binging a new show on Netflix, or scrolling for hours Tik Tok, I find that spending too many hours on the internet can be draining, and time-wasting.
Fortunately, there are many ways to combat boredom that do not necessarily involve the internet.
One activity that seems to help with boredom for me is reading, but I am aware that it is not something everyone enjoys.
Even if you do not like to read, there are many books about many things that everybody can find something they will enjoy. My favorite genres are fantasy, science-fiction, historical fiction and contemporary.
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series inspired by Greek mythology is a great place to begin. He also has a spinoff series called “The Heroes of Olympus,” which has loveable new characters and touches on Roman mythology. Riordan also wrote other series with mythology such as “The Kane Chronicles” (highly underrated in my opinion), and “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard”.
If you want something a little more serious but also enjoyable, you can’t go wrong with “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak.
Of course, if you do not like reading physical books, you can download e-books and there is also the option of audiobooks. If you like podcasts, you may enjoy reading books this way.
Now, English may have never been your favorite subject in grade school, and I understand that. But, I have never met one person who does not like music. Maybe there are certain genres or artists that people do not like, but music is a fantastic way to cure boredom.
I might sound crazy for saying this, but dance parties, alone, in my bedroom are a thousand times more fun than a school dance, and I could write an entire additional article about that topic. Not only is it a free activity, but you can control your music, and dance any way you want (as long as it is LTC approved), and if your roommate or people on your wing/floor want to join in, that is great!
If you happen to be musically inclined, you can also play instruments, and if you have been wanting to learn how to play the piano or guitar, you can do that too. There are many free tutorials on Youtube that are easy to fine.
Another great thing to do on a cold and snowy day is working on a puzzle or playing a game, no matter what form the game is. Well, as long as it is not gambling.
Since the CDC and government-enforced social distancing guidelines and the closure of big events and traveling, many people have turned to puzzles and games such as “Among Us” to relieve boredom and connect with others and themselves.
Some of my favorite games are Scattergories and Yahtzee, which are both classics, but I never get tired of playing them.
If you do not have access to physical puzzles or games, there are a lot of free puzzles and games online that you can play, but stay weary of ads.
Here are some honorable mentions of “boredom antidotes,” if you truly do not feel like doing anything: painting, coloring, cooking/baking, knitting and journaling.
If all else fails, I can guarantee that there is an assignment you could be doing or a class that you could study for, since that is something that needs to get done.
All in all, you have no excuse for boredom!
